Jewelry for Your Journey: Discovering Your Enneagram Type & Matching Jewelry | GLDN

About the Author We partnered with author, enneagram expert and mental health advocate, Christina S. Wilcox, to bring this journal to life—because no one knows the enneagram like she does. Author of Take Care of Your Type: An Enneagram Guide to Self-Care and creative behind her fun, inspiring enneagram-focused Instagram, we love the ways she makes the enneagram understandable, relatable and down to earth. Ready to learn more about your enneagram type, and find your own enneagram necklace from our collection to inspire your journey? Let’s dive in.

The Enneagram as a Guide to Self-Discovery

Over the last 5 years, you could say that many people have found themselves in their “self-care” era. As the Millennial girl boss has been escorted to the cringe category of the internet by Gen Z, methods of self-pampering and good mental health practices have risen to the surface of social media. When I wrote my first book Take Care of Your Type: An Enneagram Guide to Self-Care, I wanted to show my peers how they could take better care of themselves with the help of a personality tool called the enneagram. I wanted to dig deeper into what it means to take good care of yourself, not just through bubble baths and face masks, but through the discipline of self-actualization and facing the difficult things about ourselves head-on. This is why I’m so thrilled to be partnering with GLDN as an ambassador of their Enneagram Talisman Collection; to teach you how the enneagram can guide you on your self-care journey, but also how to grow in mindfulness and faith by using it as a behavioral analysis tool.

 

 

Let’s Start With The Basics: What Is The Enneagram?

If you’re new to the enneagram, you may be wondering what the word even means. The enneagram is considered one of the oldest personality typing tools to exist, developed first by monks to be utilized as a disciplined method to heal childhood wounds. Throughout many years, Christians, New Agers, Buddhists, and many other religions have tried to claim the system as their own. Though the enneagram is considered spiritual by many, it is ultimately acclaimed to be in the same vein as other personality tests such as the Myers Briggs. The system itself has become digestible for the average person by way of books, memes, and more!

The enneagram includes 9 Personality Types that you can identify, with other varying factors that make space for more human complexity. Some people believe you find your type based on observable physical behavior, while the more popular belief is that you find your type based on your core desires, fears, and childhood wounds. For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to explain all 9 Types based on their core desires, fears, and childhood wounds, so that you can hopefully identify yourself within GLDN’s Enneagram Collection. 

GLDN’s Enneagram Collection was created by their founder, Chrissy Lavdovsky, an enneagram 7 herself, because of how the Enneagram has transformed her journey. Each side of the talisman necklace represents both a gift (how we naturally shine) and a guiding light (how we can shine our brightest) that is meant to serve as a constant reminder of why you are both needed in this world and how you can take care of yourself so you can continue to shine bright!

 

 

Enneagram Types, Explained

Enneagram Type 1: The Reformer

Core desire: To be good, true, & beyond condemnation
Core fear: Being bad, damaged, & tainted
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to make mistakes.”

The gift that Reformers naturally offer the world is Integrity. With strong convictions and a critical eye, virtuous sincerity is a priority for Improvers no matter the passion they find themselves committed to. It is important, however, for Reformers to recognize their guiding light of acceptance as both something that is required for a happy life, but also something that can foster peace for them internally. Reformers are most identified by their inner critic; a voice that is constantly judging them for everything they do and everything everyone else does. By remembering that integrity cannot be genuine without acceptance, Improvers realize that both life and themselves do not have to be perfect to be good.

Shop the Enneagram Type One Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 2: The Nurturer

Core desire: To be desired, worthy of love, & irreplaceable
Core fear: Being replaced, considered unworthy, & unwanted
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to express my needs.”

The gift that Nurturers naturally offer the world is Connection. With the unique ability to help others in their time of need with compassion and action, serving others is a priority for Nurturers no matter the passion they find themselves committed to. It is important, however, for Nurturers to recognize their guiding light of worthiness as a virtue to hold onto when their internal narrative tries to convince them otherwise. Nurturers tend to suffer with a subtle pride; both in the help they offer others, but also their refusal to recognize their own needs and wants. When Nurturers start believing they and their time are worthy, their connections with others will grow more authentic and mutually supportive.

Shop the Enneagram Type Two Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 3: The Achiever

Core desire: To be valuable, admired, & influential
Core fear: Being exposed, deemed worthless, & a “loser”
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to disappoint others.”

The gift that Achievers naturally offer the world is Achievement. With discipline and tenacity, reaching their goals keeps themselves and others accomplishing what was never thought to be accomplishable. It is important, however, for Achievers to recognize their guiding light of authenticity as a virtue to hold onto when they find themselves in a state of burnout. Achievers tend to suffer from, you guessed it, doing too much. They often overextend themselves to not disappoint others, enforcing a belief that they are not valuable unless they are doing something. When Achievers start believing that they are allowed to be human and be their authentic selves, even if that means admitting to needing rest, they will eventually return to their natural stamina with increased clarity and excitement.

Shop the Enneagram Type Three Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 4: The The Individualist

Core desire: To be accepted, significant, & to find meaning
Core fear: Being without significance, meaning, or unremarkable
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to be ordinary.”

The gift that Individualists naturally offer the world is Uniqueness. With an eye for beauty and meaning, they can create beautiful things from otherwise painful emotions or situations. It is important, however, for Individualists to recognize their guiding light of connectedness as a virtue to hold onto when they start separating and isolating themselves from others. Individualists tend to suffer from a desire to be understood while being terrified of having someone fully know and accept them. This creates a push-and-pull cycle in many of their relationships, often believing they are unworthy of the connection they crave. When Individualists start believing that others do not determine their significance, they will find themselves less self-conscious and more at ease when connecting with others. 

Shop the Enneagram Type Four Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 5: The Investigator

Core desire: To be self-reliant, useful, & competent
Core fear: Being incapable, incompetent, & a “burden”
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to be comfortable in the world.”

The gift that Investigators naturally offer the world is Competence. With utter focus and curiosity, they unravel the mysteries of the world with accuracy and tact. It is important, however, for Investigators to recognize their guiding light of abundance as a virtue to hold onto when they believe they are not allowed to feel comfortable in the world. While Investigators tend to struggle the most with withdrawing from others, this is because they believe they have a limited amount of resources in their lives and within themselves. When Investigators start believing that they will not be irrevocably depleted by the demands of life, they will begin to show up with boldness and confidence in their relationships with others.

Shop the Enneagram Type Five Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 6: The Loyalist

Core desire: To be supported, guided, & certain
Core fear: Being without support, guidance, & uncertain
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to trust myself.”

The gift that Loyalists naturally offer the world is Security. With a dedication to the common good, they are determined to include everyone in their quest to feel a sense of belonging. It is important, however, for Loyalists to recognize their guiding light of faith as a virtue to hold onto when things become uncertain in their life and relationships. Loyalists desire certainty and closure more than any other Enneagram type and will stop at nothing to find it. Sometimes at the sacrifice of their wellbeing and intuition. When Loyalists start believing that they are allowed to have faith in themselves and others, they will begin to feel less anxiety throughout daily life.

Shop the Enneagram Type Six Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 7: The The Enthusiast

Core desire: To be fulfilled, unlimited, & taken care of
Core fear: Being trapped, without satisfaction, & limited
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to express my pain.”

The gift that Enthusiasts naturally offer the world is Enthusiasm. With a genuine joy-filled outlook on life, they are determined to experience everything that can be experienced. It is important, however for Enthusiasts to recognize their guiding light of presence as a virtue to ground themselves both in life and their relationships. Because Enthusiasts fear limitation the most, they sometimes will sacrifice their well-being for the sake of experiencing something they believe to be necessary for their satisfaction. When Enthusiasts start believing that fulfillment can also be found in the present moment with the people present in their lives, they will begin to stop equating fulfillment to stimulation.

Shop the Enneagram Type Seven Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 8: The Challenger

Core desire: To be strong & the pioneer of their own life
Core fear: Being weak, vulnerable, & at the mercy of others
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to show vulnerability.”

The gift that Challengers naturally offer the world is the ability to Take Charge. With vision and a sense of justice, they can step up and lead those they care about through difficult circumstances. It is important, however, for Challengers to recognize their guiding light of letting go as a virtue to hold onto when they find themselves beginning to feel vulnerable. Challengers typically grew up needing to be a pillar of strength for others, enforcing the belief that they are only allowed to be strong and nothing else. When Challengers can let go of this belief, they will see their hidden tenderness rise to the surface of their lives and relationships.

Shop the Enneagram Type Eight Necklace.

 

Enneagram Type 9: The Peacemaker

Core desire: To be unaffected, interconnected, & balanced
Core fear: Being in chaos, conflict, & separated from love
Inner critic: “I am not allowed to be affected.”

The gift that Peacemakers naturally offer the world is Harmony. With the ability to mediate between conflicting opinions and voices, they provide a non-judgemental space for many to exist freely. It is important, however, for Peacemakers to recognize their guiding light of self-empowerment as a virtue to hold onto when they find themselves asleep to the life around them. Peacemakers desire peace more than anything else and will risk what is best for them to not experience chaos in their lives. When Peacemakers start believing that peace can be found while taking action, they will begin to feel a new sense of ownership over their lives and decisions.

Shop the Enneagram Type Nine Necklace.

 

 

Overall, the goal of this collection is to remind you of who you are and who you can be as you go about your life in 2024 and the many years to come. If you’re interested in learning more about the enneagram as a whole, check out my book Take Care of Your Type: An Enneagram Guide to Self-Care. If you’re also interested in purchasing your type’s necklace, shop the incredible collection and let us know what you think!